The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1887-04-29
A FINE BOY BABY
WHOSE CAREER OF THREE WEEKS
Has Been lone Checkered-Ap Island
Sensation Finally Fully Exposed BY the
Father-How hc got the Child from Its
Mother-Ths Hobbs. Ward Scandal.

Shortly after 10 o'clock Wednesday
night, a handsome boy baby was left on
the front steps Of the residence at No.
ll2S Eof street, occupied up stairs by Mr..
Frank Thomas and family, and down
stairs by Mr.. and Mira. Charles Klieves.
There was left with the little stranger a
bundlocontaining articles Of bsby clothing,
all new and mado OF fine materials. There
was about this clothing no mark OF any
kind from which a clue could be obtained
40 to the infants identity or that Of its
parents.
The child was taken charge OF by Mrs.
ktieves, who announced her intention OF
adopting 1t, but early yesterday morning
the child was claimed by It's mother and
Mrs. Klieves had to give 1t up. much to
her regret. Tho baby was born on the
Island three weeks ago Yesterday; It's
mother Is leila Ward and ito father K. ].
Hobbs, Miss Wards brother.in.law at
whose house she has been living for near
ly two years past, being employed during
that time as a dressmaker. fl,
Mrs. Hobbn left the house almost i'm.
mediately after that event, and
Hobbs left the city for q time.
The unfortunate young woman was
left alone in the house with her babe,
and a nurse to take care OF them. Ac.
cordipg TO her story, about ton days age
she received word from Mrs, Hobbs, her
sister, that she must leave their house. She
appealed to her father, who lives on the
South Side, to allow her to come home, buI
this privilege WAS refused her and 1t looked
as though she would have to 20 on the
streets, when she thought Of a cousin, liv
ing in East Wheeling, to whom she wrote
pleading for aid. In response to ,hia III,
cousin and her husband hastened TO Mis-
Ward and took her to their home, wher,
they made her as comfortable as poesibI,
and where she has been ever since.
About this time Hobbs returned to tn,
city and stated that be had been to Cleve
land to see about having the child PLACED
in a ioundliug institution. He called OF
Miss Ward several times and talked abou
this matter. She was willing that tn,
child should be placed in somo good insti
tuition but insisted on such a step bein!
postponed till she was able to travel Il
the place and learn for herself what il was
To this abe says, Hobbs objected, saying
that that was not necessary.
To make a long story short, he callet
about 8 o'clock Wednesday evening ant
stated that the child must 70 that night
that he had engaged aprofessianal nurse t
take the child to Cleveland, and that hi
was going on himself to see that every
thing WAS right; that this was somethin.
that was going 10 cost him over 500 ant
must bedone at that time or not at all, The
poor mother protested, but hobbs taikeC
60 plausibly that at last she tearfully con
scented to let the baby go. One OF TIT
arguments advanced by Hobbs why sht
should part from the child was, that sht
Was becoming two much attached to it
and in truth che ia very much in love
with The pretty babe.
She spoke about getting its clothes
ready; Hobbs said that was unnecessary
that the child would in g very short time
be taken from the asylum by a very
wealthy gentleman and his vito, Of Cleve'
land, who wanted the boy, having
heard OF him. This and one Of
two other remarks made the mother and
the people with whom she Was staying
suspicious and they scrnsed him Of treach,
cry, but he protested on his "honor," thai
he was going 10 do as he said and mus,
leave at II o'clock that night. He left tc
get a carriage and returned very shortly
Tho mother waa almost frantic then and
quite a scene over the departure.
Early yesterday morning Miss Ward
learned how Hobbs had deceived her. A
short time afterwards she had the boz
back her arms
Hobbs was assisted in disposing OF the
baby BY Louise Mays, q cofored woman
we'll known about the city as a profes.
sionsl nurse. She was with him in the
carriage when he drove away from Eas,
Wheeling. Mrs. Thomas Gays tina,
she was looking out OF her
window about 10 O'Clock, when
she eaw a carriage driven rapidly up Eot
street past the Cathedral, aud turn up
Twelfth; in a very short time it came
back down Twelfth and stopped at the
corner OF the two streets. About that
time she went away from tho window.
Shortly after ward she iGncied sho heard
some n on the front steps; looking out
again she noticed that the csrrisge was
gone and there waa a baby on the stops.
After giving Miss Ward back her baby,
Mrs. Thomas and Mrs. klieves decided 10
call on Hobbs and find out what he meant
by putting his offspring on their door
steps. He told them that Louiso Maya had
left the child there; thst hsd he had any
idea that she was going 10 treat it
in such d manner he would never have
had any dcalinSu with her that she had
told him that she knew Of = family that
wanted 10 adopt a boy baby, and that she
would take it to their house and see
that it waa put safely in their
hands. He also told them the
story about going to Cleveland and
finding q place Tor tho babe but that that
Was going to cost him 800 and that no
would prefer to have it grow up here
where he could kSsp au eye on it.
The story became pretty generally
known yesterday afternoon, aud much
sympathy WIS expressed for the woman,
especially when it became known that
llobbs had not given her any financial aa.
instance in caring for the child.
4 T"mnn Wants Her Husband.
Chief OF Police Smith is in receipt OF a
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